Wherever the Light Touches
by sheepishwolves
Summary: This is the tale of five boys and the best summer of their lives. The forecast predicts sunshine, but don't rule out a summer storm. Klaine AU.
1. Summer!

_This story is set at the end of Kurt's first semester at Dalton Academy. For all intents and purposes the boys are in the same grade and have just finished their junior year. Please leave a quick review with your thoughts on the story, it will be much appreciated._

Kurt's junior year was over. He'd survived a semester buried under homework at Dalton and couldn't even remember what it felt like to have a slushie slap him in the face. It was safe to say he could hear his wardrobe shouting praise for their new stain-free existence.

He'd made quite a few friends, but none of them affected him as much as Blaine. Even his fellow Warblers had noticed their chemistry, but Kurt admired from afar as he always did and Blaine remained clueless.

A clunking noise roused Kurt from his thoughts. Blaine was lugging a terribly overstuffed suitcase down the stairs of the Dalton dormitories and was having trouble keeping it from toppling over. He stopped beside Kurt to catch his breath,

"You'd think after two years of boarding school I'd know how to pack properly but it seems I've just gotten worse." He poked the suitcase with the toe of his polished shoe, "And that's the smallest one."

Kurt hugged his binder of music from glee club to his chest, "I had to get Wes to zip my suitcase up while I was sitting on it; I totally empathise."

The boys felt the silence wash over them like ice. Blaine tilted his head towards the front door of the building before shooting Kurt a quick smile and continuing to drag his suitcase behind him. Kurt sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. It wasn't like they didn't know what to say to each other, they were the best of friends; they just didn't want to say goodbye. After living under each other's noses for six months, winter break had sounded like an eternity. They had survived that with daily calls and multiple text messages between; but now they were faced with three whole months apart. As far as Kurt knew, Blaine was spending the summer basking on some gorgeous beach in Greece with his family while Kurt himself was going back to Lima. His family couldn't afford to go on a vacation now that he was boarding at Dalton, which made him feel guilty no matter how much his father, Finn and Carole tried to tell him they didn't care.

As Kurt turned to return to his room, David caught his elbow,

"Hey, you and Blaine coming to the dorm party tonight?"

Kurt shrugged half-heartedly, "I guess."

It annoyed him how everyone always spoke of him and Blaine as a couple. They weren't a couple and always being asked _you-and-Blaine-this_ and _you-and-Blaine-that_ only reinforced the fact that he couldn't have him as anything but a mentor and friend.

David clapped Kurt on the shoulder and let him continue up to his room on the second floor. It was an elegant room with beige walls and timber accents, just like the rest of the school. It wasn't particularly large, but he had a double bed, a desk and a wardrobe with a floor length mirror and that was all Kurt needed.

He placed his folder down and stepped around his mountain of luggage to the window. Many of the boys had brought their cars around to the dormitory to load their belongings, one boy in particular catching Kurt's eye.

Blaine was absentmindedly singing along with the music on his car stereo as he and Wes unceremoniously wedged his belongings into the back seat.

"You really can't help yourself can you?" Kurt whispered as he leaned on the windowsill and felt the cool summer breeze caress his face.

_You remind me of August__  
__The way that I still care about__  
__All the things that you promised__  
__When I was still around__  
__Pick you up and drive you down_

A few Warblers who knew the song came outside and began singing as well. This was one of the many reasons Kurt loved Dalton; it wasn't uncommon for a harmony to break out at any moment.

_We are the same blood_

_All of us, we are, we are_

_While half of us were lost_

_The others half forgot_

_We are the same blood_

The group faded out at the end of the chorus and a few boys exchanged high fives before dispersing. Kurt noticed that Blaine was no longer at his car, so he turned away from the window and was met with worried hazel eyes.

"You okay? You weren't singing with us."

"I am absolutely fantastic Blaine. I can't wait to get home and eat myself to death. Finn will have candy everywhere and I'll get so bored that I'll eat and eat until I look like Jabba the Hutt. You'll have to knock a wall down just to roll me back into the building next semester."

Blaine laughed; Kurt could be such a drama queen sometimes. He sat on the bed and patted the mattress beside him, motioning for Kurt to sit with him.

"It's about this summer isn't it?" He raised an eyebrow when Kurt shook his head, "I know your parents spent their savings so you could board here, but you shouldn't feel so guilty. They wouldn't have done it if they didn't want to. Would you rather still be at McKinley and doing what you do every summer?"

Kurt shrugged, "I would rather be here. I'm going to miss you though. Three months is a long time... What if we change? You're going to _Greece_ after all."

"There is nothing wrong with change if it is in the right direction." Blaine smiled. He nudged Kurt's shoulder with his own before standing, "I have to run a few errands, but I'll see you at the party tonight yeah?"

"I've already confirmed our attendance with Wes so if you bail I'll spray bleach on your sweatervest collection."

Blaine let his jaw drop in amplified shock, "You wouldn't! Kurt Hummel you are _despicable!_"

The boys shared a quick hug before heading in opposite directions down the hallway. Kurt could still feel the warmth that Blaine's smile created within him and wondered when exactly he'd fallen in love.

ooo

"I know I said I'd be home tonight, but we're having an end of year party at the dorms. I promised I would be there."

Burt groaned on the other end of the phone, "Kurt, you know we already made a reservation at Breadstix. Finn's really looking forward to it. You can bring Blaine along if you like."

"Dad, we can go to Breadstix every day this summer, but this is the last time I'm going to see any of my friends for months!"

"What about Blaine? Wes? David? Darien? I'm sure you can visit them during the summer."

Kurt sighed, knowing his father wasn't going to budge, "Not unless you want to send me to Greece, Hawaii, Vanuatu or California. Look, I'll go to the party to say goodbye to everyone then drive straight home okay? I'll be back in time to go to Finn's beloved Breadstix."

Kurt turned to close his door, in case anyone in the hallway could hear him losing his temper, and came face to face with Blaine yet again. He was leaning against the doorframe with his hands crossed over his chest, and had changed from his uniform into jeans and a thin white t-shirt. A knowing smirk graced his lips, and he gestured for Kurt to pass him the phone before winking at him and closing the door. What was he saying to Kurt's father that he wasn't allowed to hear?

Ten minutes passed and Blaine finally opened the door, holding Kurt's phone out to him,

"Your dad invited me to dinner tonight. If it's alright by you of course. I'm not really in the mood to party with the guys; early flight tomorrow and all."

Kurt smiled a little more enthusiastically than he'd intended, but it didn't really matter when Blaine was beaming just as much. As casually as he could, Kurt linked elbows with Blaine and desperately tried to prevent himself from blushing. He had dealt with six months of Blaine's touchiness, but it never seemed to affect him any less.

They entered the common room just as the football team were taking turns inhaling helium.

"Hey! Hey! That's for the balloons! Justin Hennessey, I swear on my life that if you take one more breath of helium I will hold your mouth on the nozzle until you pass out!" David warned from atop a ladder in the far corner of the room. He attached the last of the streamers to the ceiling and threw the roll of tape at the shaggy haired brunette. Justin squeaked, rubbing the back of his head,

"Ow! David, stop being such a dick!"

The group of rowdy boys in the room erupted into laughter at the sound of Justin's voice, which attracted more attention from outside. Kurt and Blaine ignored the trivialities, instead wading through the squawking mass towards David and a boy with a mop of mousey brown curls past his shoulders.

"Darien, I see you still haven't had that hair cut your father paid you to get."

Kurt smiled fondly at the mischievous sparkle in Darien's hazel eyes. His father was an ex-army officer and detested any hairstyle other than a buzz-cut, so naturally Darien refused to cut his hair. He shook his head a little, letting his hair settle around his face like a mane and laughed,

"I slicked it back with enough gel to fill a swimming pool and sent him a photo. Now he's happy and I have a hundred dollars to go towards our –"

Darien cut himself short as Blaine jerked a hand to his lips. They were hiding something and Kurt knew it. He was about to ask Blaine what the big secret was when Wes pushed through the now crowded common room and leaned on his shoulder,

"You ready to party hard fellas?"

He saw the distant expressions on Kurt and Blaine's faces and crossed his arms, "You _are_ coming tonight, aren't you?"

Again, Blaine came to Kurt's rescue and explained the family dinner situation. Once he mentioned Burt's shotgun, Wes agreed that a party was the last place Kurt should have been that night.

Kurt clapped his hands together and grinned, but the sadness in his eyes was obvious to his friends, "I'm going to miss you all so much. A whole summer with Finn is going to be torturous. Especially if he has Puck, Sam and Mike over as much as he used to. You better bring me souvenirs from your adventures abroad!"

Darien jumped forward and pulled Kurt into a crushing hug, his hair enveloping both their faces, "Cheer up man, at least you're going to keep your beautiful complexion. I'm going to fry in Cali and I wouldn't be surprised if Blaine comes back browner than David!"

From beneath Darien's hair he could hear Blaine, David and Wes laughing and couldn't help but hold onto his friend a little tighter to savour the moment. Darien was one of the first boys that had spoken to Kurt when he'd joined the Warblers and had instantly become one of his closest friends at Dalton. They frequently practiced their vocal and dance routines together; as Darien wasn't the best of dancers, and in return for Kurt's help, he provided a confidential outlet for Kurt's troubles. In the beginning it had been simple things like talking about how much he missed New Directions, but over time Kurt had begun to tell Darien things he hadn't even told Mercedes. Things like the time he was looking for his Chemistry class and ended up in the showers listening to Blaine singing after a soccer match.

Kurt pulled away and wiped his eyes, "This is ridiculous, I have to go. Dad will have another heart attack if we're late." He gave David and Wes a quick hug, "I hope you guys have a fantastic summer."

They smirked and exchanged a discreet fist-bump, "Oh, we will Kurt, we will."

_Songs featured: Same Blood – The Academy Is..._

_Quotes: "There is nothing wrong with change if it is in the right direction" - Winston Churchill._

_If you'd like to suggest a song or quote or something for me to work into the story, feel free to let me know. Just tell me who you'd like to sing/say it and I'll see what I can do!_


	2. The Hummel Inquisition

_Thank you so much to those of you that reviewed and subscribed on the first chapter! I really hope I can keep this story going. I hit a roadblock on my last one and I don't want that to happen this time. _

The drive back to Lima had felt like an eternity for Kurt. Maybe it was because Blaine was coming to dinner with his family and he was secretly ecstatic but equally as nervous, or maybe he just didn't really want to believe that it was summer already. Then again, it was probably both.

He fussed with his hair and smoothed his sky blue t-shirt – Blaine had insisted that it was much too hot for him to wear a blazer, no matter how fabulous it looked, so t-shirt and jeans it was – at a stop sign around the corner from his home and saw Blaine's car pull up behind him. Kurt found himself staring again and took a deep breath; he was going to need to be completely at peace to be able to deal with his father's round of Twenty Questions.

As the Hummel residence came into view, Kurt could see that his family had visitors. Specifically of the New Directions variety. His face split into a grin and he couldn't step out of his car fast enough. Kurt turned to see Blaine stepping out of his car and jabbing his finger towards the door,

"Go on, they're waiting for you. It's okay, I'll be right here."

Kurt reached for the doorknob, but it was wrenched open and before he knew what was happening he was buried in someone's chest. A tall someone.

He pulled back and raised a brow, the boy in front of him burning red and scratching the back of his head. Finn scrunched up his nose, jerking a thumb towards the living room,

"Everyone's here. Except Mr Schu. His ex-wife came to school today and was yelling at Ms Pillsbury so he's getting a restraining order or something... Anyway, I thought you'd like to see them before they go wherever they're going for summer. I think Mike and Tina are going to some Asian dance camp again and Brittany said she's going to volunteer at a doll hospital because she wants to help dolls in need."

Finn was about to continue when he noticed Blaine leaning against his car. The look on his face wasn't of disapproval, more like confusion, but Kurt managed to distract him before he could ask any questions.

"Are you going to let me see everyone or are we going to stand out here all afternoon?"

They stepped inside, Kurt trying to convince Blaine to follow them with a jerk of his head, but he refused. Not that Kurt blamed him, being in a room with the McKinley gang would probably be fairly intimidating for anyone.

He paused in the doorway as his friends fell quiet. They stared at him expectantly from various positions around the room and surprisingly, Puck was the first to speak,

"Hey Hummel, it's good to see you still in one piece."

After that, everything was a blur of hugs and _how are you's and_ Rachel trying to not-so-subtly ask if Kurt and Blaine were an item yet. He answered questions, avoiding Santana's at all costs. _Yes there are good looking boys at Dalton, no I will not set you up with them._

Fingers intertwined with Kurt's, sending his heart into a frenzy. He was sure his face was as red as that new Marc Jacobs blazer he had spent more than one night dreaming about, but managed to compose himself enough to turn to Blaine and whisper,

"I thought you were waiting outside."

Blaine smiled, squeezing Kurt's hand a little, "It was boring watching you have all the fun."

It seemed the rest of the group had walked away to give them some privacy, except Brittany. The enormous smile and expectant look on her face was enough to make Blaine tilt his head a little in confusion. Kurt smiled at Brittany and gestured to Blaine with his free hand,

"Brittany, Blaine. Blaine, Brittany."

The childlike blonde took Blaine's free hand and kissed his knuckles as she ducked into a curtsey,

"I'm so happy I finally met your prince, Kurt." She leaned into Kurt's ear and whispered, "He looks just like Prince Eric. Are you sure you're not a mermaid?"

Judging by the puzzled expression Blaine was wearing, he had overheard Brittany. Kurt shot him a look that said he'd explain later, then winked at the Cheerio, "I can't tell you all my secrets, but if you want I'll let you be my Flounder."

Brittany's jaw dropped, her voice barely audible above the rest of the room, "Thank you so much Kurt, that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. I'll be the best Flounder ever!"

She bounced off, probably to tell Santana about Kurt's "prince", while Blaine was still looking puzzled. He didn't have much time to let what he'd just witnessed digest before Artie wheeled over and pointed to the doorway,

"Hey Blaine, Burt said he'd like to have a few words with you in the kitchen." He raised a hand as both Blaine and Kurt turned to walk away, "_Just_ Blaine. Don't worry Kurt; your dad would never shoot him with witnesses around."

Kurt glared at Artie, taking the handles of his wheelchair and pushing him across the room,

"He hasn't done anything to deserve being shot so you can keep your big, gossipy mouth shut and mind your own business."

ooo

Blaine had been gone for nearly half an hour and it was starting to worry Kurt, but everyone made sure he was continually bombarded with questions about Dalton and stories of life at McKinley since he'd transferred. Apparently Coach Sylvester had been heard telling Becky she missed Kurt's sunshiney disposition, and that had been a shock to say the least.

When Burt finally entered the room with Blaine lingering in the doorway, everyone fell silent. Blaine shot a wink at Kurt, which Mercedes didn't fail to miss. She pressed her cheek into Kurt's shoulder and whispered,

"You're so obvious it hurts. Why don't you just serenade him and get busy with those lovely lips? I swear if you aren't –"

"Mercedes, shh! It's more complicated than that! I can't just use my voice to make him fall in love with me!" Kurt breathed back. He wasn't going to tell her that he often refused to sing solo in front of Blaine so that when he did hear him occasionally, he would be even more struck by his voice. He loved the way Blaine's eyes would widen and his jaw would slip –

"Kurt? Did you hear me? I said you should probably say goodbye to your friends. We have to go to dinner soon." Burt waved his hand in front of Kurt's face. Everyone was staring at him, but he was only concerned with the boy standing just inside the room with his hands in his pockets and a thoughtful expression.

Burt gave them ten minutes to finish up, stopping for a moment in front of Blaine to nod before leaving the room. It felt good to know Burt approved of Blaine enough to let him attend dinner with his family.

Blaine leaned back against the door frame as he watched Kurt hug each of his friends goodbye. He could tell Kurt was upset when he looked up and saw only he and Finn left in the room. No matter how much he and Kurt spoke, Blaine was sure there was still a lot the other boy wasn't saying to him. It wasn't his place to push Kurt to talk, but there was something gnawing at his gut; telling him to make Kurt say _something_.

"I'll just... I'm gonna go have a shower." Finn mumbled awkwardly, leaving Kurt and Blaine alone in the living room.

Kurt groaned, "Sorry about my dad."

"No need to apologise. He asked me if I was going to be here a lot over summer. I think he was going to set some ground rules, but I explained that I was going away and he almost seemed relieved."

There is was again, the big elephant in the room. _Greece_.

Kurt flopped down on the couch and closed his eyes. Blaine going to Greece was still real no matter how much he wished it wasn't. He felt the other boy sit beside him and take his hand. There was a faint urge to pull away, but Kurt couldn't be mad at Blaine for something his parents had forced him to do.

Blaine's breath tickled the sensitive skin under Kurt's ear as he pulled him into a hug, "You're going to have an amazing summer Kurt. Promise me you won't mope about until Mercedes has no choice but to drag you to the mall."

Kurt nodded, pulling away when he heard Finn clear his throat. He stood awkwardly at the door, his eyes glued to the floor,

"We're going now. Burt said Blaine has to ride with me."

Blaine shot Kurt a look that told him not to argue and they followed Finn to the car. Burt and Carole were waiting for Kurt in their car and Finn led Blaine to his car and followed the others towards the restaurant.

Awkward silences aside, Finn was a nice guy, he just wasn't used to being around another gay guy that wasn't Kurt. Blaine exhaled a silent laugh and shook his head,

"You know, I am a person."

"I – uh, what?" Finn's cheeks were flushed pink in the fading sunlight. He looked over to Blaine, who was staring at him,

"Finn, you're so awkward around me and it's starting to get annoying. I'm gay, it's not contagious and there is no way that I would ever hit on you. Sorry, but you're not my type."

Blaine watched Finn release a sigh, "Man, I'm sorry. It's just, well, a while ago Kurt had a bit of a thing for me. I thought he was just being nice but – look I didn't mean to be weird but I didn't know if you were flirting or just being nice." He quickly changed the subject, "So, how was the Hummel Inquisition?"

Finn pulled into the parking lot at Breadstix and waited for Blaine to answer,

"Oh, Burt was fine. I've actually been making some plans with him. Don't mention it to Kurt, he's not supposed to know yet." Blaine looked down at his feet and smirked, he was having a lot of difficulty keeping the secret from Kurt himself, all he needed was Finn to blow it when nearly everything was in place.

Finn pulled an invisible zip across his lips and nodded as they walked across the parking lot to where Kurt and his parents were waiting by the door. Without a second thought Blaine reached forward and slid his fingers between Kurt's. He knew Carole was trying to be subtle, but he heard her tell Burt how cute they looked together.

Blaine caught a glimpse of himself and Kurt in the windows of the restaurant – and yeah, they did look good together. Kurt was the happiest he'd been since they'd met and Blaine himself was so content he was sure he could walk over hot coals and not feel a thing. There was only one problem with the picture; they weren't actually a couple.

Hopefully he could retract that statement by the end of summer.


	3. PUNK'D

_Wow, so many people have subscribed to this story. I'm glad you guys like it, because I am definitely enjoying writing it! Thank you for the reviews as well, you don't know how much I appreciate your feedback._

_Also, I will be using names of places in this story but will be making up the details, which I'm sure none of you will mind. I just thought I'd let you know beforehand._

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It had been just over a week since Blaine had attended dinner with Kurt's family and somehow managed to win Burt over. Kurt was lost for words when his father had offered to let Blaine sleep over, but to Kurt's disappointment he had declined. Which was completely understandable considering he had to meet his parents at their hotel in Columbus before they flew out the following morning.

Now Kurt was scrolling through an essay of an email, wishing he hadn't begged Blaine to tell him every detail of the trip. The photos he'd sent did look beautiful though.

_... staying in a resort on the island of Santorini at the moment, I'm not sure how long we'll be here, but that's the best part of holidaying with my family. Mum changes her mind so often that for all I know I could be in Corfu or Athens tomorrow._

_I've attached a few pictures to the email, don't expect to see me in any of them though. I made the mistake of taking a book down to the beach and fell asleep in the sun. You know those ridiculous star shaped sunglasses Darien gave me for Christmas? Well, let's just say I look like Ace Frehley, though sadly more lobster red than fabulously silver._

_Anyway, I hope you're having a less painful summer than I am. Expect Mercedes to call you up and take you shopping sometime today. Hey, don't look at me like that Kurt, you promised me you wouldn't mope. Now go shop till you drop!_

_Love, Blaine._

Kurt had to stop himself from rolling his eyes at the computer screen as he exited the email. How did Blaine know him so well? He picked up his wallet and stood beside Mercedes who was studying the photographs hanging on his bedroom walls. She was staring at one in particular, of herself, Kurt and Tina at their first sectionals. He noticed Mercedes' lip quiver a little before she turned to him and grinned,

"I am _so_ ready to dress you up!"

ooo

Mercedes sat on the stairs in Kurt's room as he fussed with the mountain of clothing on his bed. He was separating the items into categories; t-shirts, dress shirts, vests, coats and pants. Kurt lifted up a plain purple t-shirt and a white vest,

"Mercedes, what about these?"

She nodded, "You know you don't need my opinion."

"I do when it comes to Blaine. I get all jittery and nothing makes sense. Like when I was trying to decide what to wear to dinner. I almost wore a red shirt with a green tie!" He noticed Mercedes' blank expression and added, "It's too early in the year to look like one of Santa's little helpers!"

She stood up and shuffled through the pile of pants, choosing a pair of grey jeans that looked a size too small for Kurt, "He's not going to be back for ages, why are you planning outfits now?"

"Everything has to be perfect. You have to help me choose a song too; something that's sweet and says 'I really, really like you'. Nothing overly sexual or romantic, I don't want to seem–"

Mercedes' hands flew to her hips and her lips were pursed before Kurt could finish his sentence. She held up a finger when Kurt tried to speak,

"Sugar, I knew you were head over heels for that boy but you have _got_ to get a grip! I will have none of this crazy planning for months business, and certainly no rehearsing of love songs! You get on with your life and when he comes back you either ask him out or you don't. He is not the only person in your life!"

They stood in silence, Mercedes staring at Kurt expectantly until the realisation dawned on him. He pulled her into a tight hug and apologised profusely until she pulled away,

"Kurt, you know I love you, but you really do need to stop talking about Blaine every opportunity you get. Can we at least have a few Blaine-free hours?"

Kurt bit his lower lip and smirked, "What can I say? I'm in sickly-sweet teenage love." He plucked a CD off his desk and waved it around as they walked up the stairs into the main house, "How about we start my Blaine-free summer with some baking and cheesy nineties pop music? Dad and Carole are at work and Finn's over at Sam's so we can play it obnoxiously loud..."

Mercedes narrowed her eyes and asked, "You got Britney on there?"

"I am offended by the fact that you felt the need to ask. Of course Britney is on here!" Kurt shot over his shoulder as he placed the CD into a portable stereo on the kitchen counter.

ooo

"– and we'll go hiking and watch the sun set–"

Darien let his head fall back against the headrest and groaned, "You do not know how glad I am that I'm not going to be riding with you two."

They were a few minutes from the Hummel residence and Blaine was becoming more and more unsettled. He grinned to himself,

"And you do not know how thankful I am that your Dad planted this idea in my head. Kurt is going to go nuts."

Blaine pulled up outside Kurt's house, noticing that there was familiar music wafting through the open front door, along with the scent of carrot cake. He turned back to Darien, who nodded his head towards the door,

"If he's playing his cheesy nineties mix the only thing he wants is to see you."

"Wait, what? I thought he listened to it when he was in a terribly good mood?" Blaine said as he stepped out of the car and walked around to the passenger side window.

Darien rolled his eyes, "You're the only one too dense to realise that he listens to it when he wants you to sing with him. You probably don't realise, but as soon as you hear the intro to "Bye, Bye, Bye", you're in his room or wherever the hell he decides to perform, and the whole dormitory can hear your vocal intercourse. I wish he'd change the playlist around sometime, as much as I love your rendition of "I Just Can't Wait to be King", I don't appreciate that I'm starting to sing along with you."

Amused, Blaine walked across the grass to Kurt's front door. What Darien had pointed out had never really been obvious to him. In his mind he had decided that it was _their _cheesy nineties playlist, but he didn't know that Kurt playing it was basically his way of ringing a bell for Blaine's attention. He felt that he should have been annoyed at Kurt for manipulating him like that instead of just talking to him, until he heard the voices singing along with the track thumping through the house.

_Well I woke up this morning, and the night had been so long._

_It seems that I had had my mind on you._

_Well the day, it has begun,_

_And I can't get a minute, can't get a minute without you._

Blaine followed the voices into the kitchen where Kurt and Mercedes were in the process of icing a fresh cake and dancing around whilst cleaning up. He leaned against the doorway and began to sing,

_You're always on my mind,_

_You're always in my head._

_And I can't live, I can't live another day without you._

It took a moment but when Kurt registered that he and Mercedes were no longer alone he spun around, his expression reminiscent of a startled deer. Both he and Mercedes smiled when they saw Blaine, though Kurt was the one that skipped over and pulled Blaine into a bear hug. They danced around the kitchen, dorky as ever, while Mercedes shook her head and returned to the dishes.

_Cause when the minutes seem like hours and the hours seem like days,_

_Then a week goes by, you know it takes my breath away._

_All the minutes in the world could never take your place._

_There's one-thousand-four-hundred-forty hours in my day._

ooo

Kurt stood at his front door and laughed, glancing around suspiciously, "Blaine, why are there Kombi vans on my lawn? More importantly, why is one pink?" He squinted and noticed three faces peering back at him through the tinted windows, "And why are Wes, David and Darien here? You're all supposed to be on vacation..."

Blaine stood behind Kurt with his arms crossed, "I prefer the term _watermelon_." He rolled his eyes when Kurt glared at him, "Okay, fine, you've been Punk'd. There was no Greece or Vanuatu or whatever. Darien's dad had the vans fixed up and pretty much brought the road trip idea to life. We're in the _watermelon_ van and Darien, Wes and David are in the green one."

"I prefer the term _mint_." Kurt said, crossing his arms to imitate Blaine.

They turned as Mercedes snorted, "You two are so nauseating when you're together." She held up a thin rainbow-striped sweater, "You want this in your suitcase?"

"Of course! Wait, suitcase? As in a singular suitcase? I'll never fit everything I need in–"

"Okay, you can have two, but that's it. We already have a lot of supplies in our van since we only have one bed and the other has three." Blaine stated, completely straight faced, while Kurt himself could feel his cheeks beginning to burn.

"Like I said, totally _nauseating._"

Kurt swore he caught Mercedes winking at him, but she had just as quickly disappeared back towards his bedroom. He bit his lip and stared after her, worried that she was going to pack a mountain of mismatched outfits, when Blaine shooed him back into the house,

"Go! I know you're itching to make sure she's not packing anything inappropriate. I'm going to get the guys to help me make some room for your extra luggage. I don't want to leave until your parents are home, so take your time."

It took Kurt a moment to turn away from Blaine's comforting presence. As cliché as it was, he was afraid he'd blink and realise he'd been hallucinating. Again, Blaine flicked his hands in a shooing motion towards Kurt before smiling and closing the front door behind himself. Kurt shook his head and tried to keep his composure as he all but skipped into his bedroom. Mercedes was busy neatly folding items of clothing and humming to herself. She looked up and Kurt couldn't help but notice the tiny speck of sadness in her smile.

He sat at his dresser and packed his essentials; moisturiser, cleanser, toner, and sunscreen, "You don't really want me to go do you?" Mercedes sighed, but Kurt kept talking, "Of course you were in on it, hence Blaine getting you to take me shopping. I can't believe I didn't pick up on anything; especially after you kept trying to make me buy a swimming costume."

"Kurt I–"

He held up a hand, "No, Mercedes I know you don't like that Blaine and I share a connection but you really have to live your own life. I can't give up this opportunity to spend some quality time with Blaine, away from Dalton, when it might bring me the perfect opportunity to tell him how I feel."

By now, Mercedes was standing next to Kurt as he packed all of his underwear and socks into one of the already brimming suitcases,

"Kurt Hummel, will you sit down and shut your yappy little mouth for one moment?" He obeyed, staring wide-eyed as Mercedes' voice became a fraction louder, "I am not jealous of you _or_ Blaine, in fact I was ecstatic when he told me his plan to whisk you away in his pink van. You know why? Because I knew it would make you happier than anything in the entire world. Ever since you went to Dalton you've become a new person Kurt; and you owe a lot of that to Blaine, whether he knows it or not."

Kurt lifted a finger, ready to speak, but Mercedes swatted it down, "And you know what? I am really offended that you think I don't have anyone other than you in my life. I will have you know that Artie, Brittany and I have made plans; as well my cousins." She fanned herself with her hand dramatically, "We Jones women know how to party _mmm-hmm_. So don't think that I don't want you to go because I am jealous of your little _thing_ with Mr. Dapper. Honestly, I cannot wait for you two to sort yourselves out and become a certified item."

Unable to respond with anything more than a simple, _oh_, Kurt pulled Mercedes into a hug. He felt like such an idiot for assuming she was trying to stop him from seeing Blaine when all she wanted was to set them up.

They were abruptly interrupted by Carole calling down the stairs, "Kurt, your father and I are home... You better hurry up; I think your friends are getting impatient."

ooo

Blaine stood in front of Burt and Carole, his hands clasped behind his back like a soldier and his tone serious,

"Darien is going to ride with Kurt and I, while Wes and David are in the other van. We're planning on stopping in Toledo for dinner, then heading up to Woodland Beach for the night. I have written you a list of contact numbers for all of us and our parents. The registration details of the vehicles are there as well, along with places we are planning to visit. I apologise for not being able to give you an exact route for our trip, but we decided it would be more enjoyable if most of the trip was improvised."

Kurt frowned to himself; it was uncomfortable watching how incredibly still Blaine was standing. He wished his friend would loosen up around his father, but if this was what it took to have Burt let him go on a summer-long road trip, he was all for it.

Burt turned to Kurt and rested a hand on his shoulder, "Son, if you get into any trouble, even if it's just a flat, call me okay? I'll help you over the phone as much as I can. We've loaded everything into the vans and it looks like the other fellas are rearing to go." He pulled his son into a hug, "Send a few postcards okay? And call at least once a week or Carole will have a fit."

"Burt, let go of Kurt and stop fussing. They'll be fine." Carole grinned and kissed Kurt's cheek, whispering, "Don't be surprised if he calls you a few times over the next day or two to check in. He's worried about you, that's all."

Having switched to autopilot during Burt's speech, Kurt nodded and smiled politely, hugging his father one more time before turning to Mercedes. She didn't say anything, only hugging him fiercely before giving him a thumbs up and a wink in Blaine's direction. Kurt smiled coyly as he climbed into the passenger seat of the _watermelon_ Kombi and blew one last kiss towards his family.

"Tell Finn our room better be just as spotless when I get back!" He called as Blaine started the van with a rumble.

Once they were a few minutes away from his house, Kurt looked over his shoulder at Darien, who had his nose buried in a comic, and exhaled a quiet laugh; this was going to be the most memorable summer of his life whether any of them liked it or not.

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_Songs featured: A Minute Without You - Hanson_


	4. We Fight, We Make Up

_Woo, new chapter! Thank you for the reviews! Don't stop, otherwise I won't know what you guys want! The last chapter was a bit of a filler, so I hope this one gets into the proper story a little deeper._

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The small pizza parlour they pulled into appeared to be a popular location for the local youth, so not only did Wes have to dart between bodies and throw himself into a booth before another group of people beat him there, they had to try and speak over the rest of the patrons and the sound system as well. Once they'd ordered, David all but yelled,

"Anywhere in particular you want to go Kurt? We've got the whole summer and an entire country at our fingertips!"

He shrugged, trying not to focus on Blaine's shoulder pressing him against the window, "Wherever the light touches?"

Darien rolled his eyes, "You _so_ did not just attempt to quote The Lion King. Be careful, Blaine might lick your cheek or something."

"Hey, that's our super secret best friend greeting!" Blaine feigned offense and lightly punched Darien's shoulder. Kurt turned to him, amused, and was met with Blaine's nose pressed against his. He quickly turned and pushed Blaine away,

"Can you get up? I need to go to the bathroom."

He wrapped his arms across his chest, dodging customers and waitresses with loaded trays until he reached the silence of the bathroom. Music played quietly through the room, which helped calm Kurt down a little. He locked himself in a cubicle and rested his head in his hands. Just when he had gained the confidence to reveal his feelings, Blaine had gone and pulled the best friend card.

ooo

Once Kurt had regained his composure, he returned to the booth and ate in relative silence. No one questioned him, which he was glad for, and he didn't even look up when two guys sauntered over to the table and began to talk to the others.

"Hey, I'm Nathaniel. Never seen you guys here before. You on vacation?" The one closest to David asked.

Darien answered through a mouth full of food, "Yeah, road trip."

The other guy was beside Blaine, but he'd pulled a spare chair up and was deep in conversation, "You're going to Woodland Beach? It's lovely there this time of year. You should definitely be up for the sunrise, it's very romantic."

What Kurt hadn't realised was that Blaine's arm had been slung over the back of the bench seat and he was now pulling it back,

"Oh, no, we're not... I mean, we're gay, just not seeing each other."

Kurt would have liked to have thought he was being surreptitious, but he could feel his jaw drop slightly at the sight of their company. The first guy, Nathaniel, was quite attractive. He was blonde and lightly tanned, with a "jock" air hanging about him. Though what really surprised Kurt was that he was sliding a napkin over to Darien, who looked down at it and chuckled,

"Don't mean to burst your bubble, but I'm quite straight. It's Kurt and Blaine you gotta talk to."

He winked at Kurt, then frowned when he noticed the other guy's hand below the table and a sly smirk across his face. Kurt shook his head calmly, confirming that he simply had his hand on Blaine's knee, but was internally screaming. Blaine was laughing at something their new acquaintance had said and was slowly moving closer to him, which ignited a fire within Kurt. He cleared his throat noisily,

"So, ah, what was your name?"

"Alexander. I was just discussing your road trip with Blaine and thought that maybe Nate and I could bring a couple of friends along to Woodland Beach to liven up the party a little." He pushed his glasses up and ran a hand through his short hair, but no matter how drop dead gorgeous he was, Kurt couldn't stop himself from frowning,

"Look, I don't want to be rude, but we have to go. And no, we don't want you and your friends ruining our trip." Kurt stood, forcing Blaine to walk out of the booth and towards the door.

As soon as they were outside, Blaine turned and glared at Kurt,

"What was that about? Those guys were being genuinely nice to us!"

Darien, Wes and David exited the parlour as Kurt raised his voice and waved his hands around expressively,

"He was chatting you up! Not to mention he was practically groping you!"

Blaine turned around without saying a word and walked across the street to the vans. He looked back briefly before climbing into the driver's seat. Wes, David and Darien stood back as Kurt stormed over to Blaine and opened the door,

"No way, nuh-uh. Don't you even think about running away this time. I did not agree to spend my summer watching you get laid so if that's what you're going to do, I would appreciate it if you took me home first."

The two boys stared at each other for a long moment before Blaine sighed,

"Kurt, I wasn't trying to get laid. Sure he was cute, and was flirting with me, but I'm not into one night stands." He started up the van and bit his lip, "You should know that."

ooo

Darien groaned as he flopped down onto the back seat of the mint green van. He knew Kurt and Blaine needed their privacy, but all he wanted to do was yell at them. Neither of them seemed to realise how absolutely infatuated the other was, so they continued on the same ridiculous loop. One would flirt, the other would close up like a startled clam; one would flirt with someone else, the other would get jealous and possessive; one would spend a week at his house trying to figure out some sort of game-plan while the other thought he'd been abandoned.

"If we just told them to quit the drama and run into each other's arms, that would make life a hell of a lot easier." Wes muttered, his forehead resting against the steering wheel.

David, who was in the passenger seat, patted his friend's shoulder,

"They'll sort themselves out. Kurt's probably going to yell at Blaine the whole way to the beach... Hopefully that knocks some sense into him."

Wearily, Darien exhaled, "It won't. They're starting their stupid cycle again. If I was a gambler I'd put money on one of them eventually asking to swap vans with one of us. There's no way they'll survive the whole summer together. Give them a head start so they'll be cooled down by the time we get there."

Meanwhile, the silence was thick in the pink (fine, _watermelon_) van. Kurt leaned his elbow on the door and stared out into the night. He tried with all his might to stay mad at Blaine, but with him humming along with the radio sadly, Kurt couldn't help but feel like he was kicking a puppy.

"If he had come up to you when you were alone, would you have gone off with him?"

Blaine stopped humming, "I'm sorry?"

"If Alexander had walked up to you while you were alone, would you–"

"No! Kurt, how many times do I have to tell you that I am not so horny that I have to screw around with try-hards?" Blaine's grip tightened on the steering wheel, and his mouth set in a grimace.

Kurt sat up straighter, his mood improving, "You thought he was a try-hard?"

Blaine nodded and turned the radio up, effectively ending their conversation. He kept his eyes focused on the road ahead, so Kurt wasn't afraid to let a tiny victory smile cross his lips.

As Kurt settled back against the window, unashamedly watching the light from passing cars headlights illuminate Blaine's profile, a crackling sound filled the van. He glanced around nervously, fearing they were about to break down, but Blaine pointed to the glove box. Kurt dug past multiple bags of candy and the star shaped sunglasses Darien had gifted to Blaine to find a walkie talkie chatting away beneath.

"Hello? Kurt? Blaine? You don't think they've killed each other?" David's voice sputtered through the speaker, "Guys? _Come on!_"

Blaine took the walkie talkie from Kurt and laughed, "Calm down guys, we're almost at the beach. You far behind?"

"About five minutes. Thought you two could do with a nice long chat."

Kurt snatched the radio from Blaine, "You three will never stop meddling will you? Well, we're here now so hurry up, unless you want us to eat all the candy."

"We solemnly swear we are up to no good!" was the joint reply before the line went silent.

It wasn't long after sunset, so when Kurt stepped out of the van the visibility was still quite good. He stretched his arms behind his head and wandered down a set of worn wooden steps onto the sand. In the distance it appeared that there was a group of people gathered around a bonfire. As long as they didn't venture down this end of the beach Kurt wouldn't have to blow a gasket.

Blaine slid a pair of beach chairs from under the back seat of the van and carried them down to Kurt. He unfolded them and reclined with a yawn,

"The other three can start a fire; I'll probably burn the whole town to the ground."

He folded his hands behind his head and closed his eyes, giving Kurt the perfect opportunity to slip back to the van. He found the walkie-talkie and crawled into the back seat,

"Darien, you there?"

Almost instantly a fuzzy reply came through, "Sure am. What's the news?"

"Blaine's relaxing on the beach and I'm hiding in the back of the van like a gossipy little girl. There's a party of some sort down the other end of the beach too. They don't seem to be trouble makers though." Kurt said whilst he reached over the front seat gracelessly and pulled a bag of gummy bears from the glove box.

"Give us a few minutes and we'll be there. Over and out."

With his mind set on making up with Blaine, Kurt marched back down to the beach and sat on the edge of Blaine's chair. The other boy didn't open his eyes as Kurt shook the bag of gummy bears, but simply opened his mouth.

"You look like a hungry bird."

Blaine chewed on the candy Kurt had dropped into his mouth, "That's not going to help you make up for yelling at me. You could start by polishing the van." He opened one eye and grinned at Kurt, who was shooting daggers, "Kidding. You're forgiven. Now feed me."

They sat and threw gummy bears into each other's mouth for a few minutes, Blaine finally loosening up and flipping Kurt onto the sand. If it had been anyone else, Kurt would have thrown punches, but what was a little sand in his hair when Blaine was lying on top of him?

"Whoa, hey, what's going on here? Keep your clothes on!" Darien called as he stood at the top of the stairs and covered his eyes. Wes stepped around him and dropped a chair into the sand, "It's nice to see we're all friends again."

Smoothly, Blaine rolled off of Kurt and helped him up. They dusted themselves off and Kurt hurried over to Darien, who was still pretending to throw up,

"I really appreciate your help. Because embarrassing Blaine is going to make him like me..."

"Kurt, I promised that I wouldn't meddle, but we both know he's been crushing on you forever. If you don't know how to tell the dork that you're head over heels for him, why don't you sing? Or just grow some balls and kiss him. It'll shut him up for a few minutes at least." Darien handed Kurt a flashlight and headed along the edge of the parking lot. When Kurt didn't follow him he turned around, "Come on, we need firewood!"

ooo

"Darien, I swear I will club you over the head if you don't shut up." Kurt lagged behind as Darien sang,

_Blaine can be your hero baby._

_He can kiss away your pain. _

_He will stand by you forever. _

_That dork will take your breath away._

They arrived back at the vans, but there was no sign of Wes, David or Blaine. Kurt squinted down the beach and muttered angrily, "We're gone for a damn hour and I get a handful of splinters, then they ditch us?"

He threw the bundle of wood he was carrying onto the sand and made Darien do the same, "Come on, let's go! It's time to mingle."

It was a fairly long walk to the other end of the beach but Kurt was determined. His shoes were filled with sand and he was sure his hair looked terrible after being battered by the wind; still there was no stopping him. When he and Darien made it to the group of people milling about outside the main, noisy group, he cleared his throat. A few girls turned around and welcomed them,

"Hey guys! The drinks are up near the dunes, help yourself!"

Darien shook his head, "Oh, we're just looking for a few friends of ours... Three guys: Asian, black and a dork."

One of the less intoxicated members of the group pointed past the fire, "I saw those cuties! They were with Nate. Well, the adorable, dorky one wasn't... he had a few beers and went off with Alex." She winked, "I wouldn't disturb them if I were you."

Kurt pushed his hair back, his eyes narrowing menacingly, "Darien, find Wes and David. I'm going to tear that Alex a new one."

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_Songs featured in this chapter: Sixes & Sevens – As Tall As Lions (this is the song that Blaine was humming along to in the car)_

_ Hero – Enrique Iglesias_


	5. I See You

_Since the power's been out for the last few days, I haven't really had anything other than this to do, so this is probably going to be the quickest update you'll ever get from me haha. Just a warning, there will be some coarse language in this chapter._

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Kurt was fuming, to say the least. He stopped to ask a few people if they'd seen Alex, following their directions toward a group of rocks. According to a few of the party-goers, behind the rocks was a secluded second beach that was generally used by those who wanted a little more privacy.

A hand grasped Kurt's shoulder, turning him to face Wes, "Man, we're so sorry! You know how he gets after he's been drinking..."

He frowned, "I don't actually. Please tell me he doesn't get–"

"He gets touchy. Like, immensely. More than he does with you any other day." David groaned.

Darien didn't have to say anything for Kurt to know he was worried. He pressed his temples and sighed, "Okay Kurt, please don't go all Wolverine on us. Just, I don't know, let me go get him. I'll throw him over my shoulder if I have to."

"No, no, I'll get him. I think we need to have a serious discussion." Kurt held a hand out to keep his friends from following him as he trudged towards the rocks jutting out of the sand. They were on the very edge of the area lit by the bonfire, so Kurt had to work his way slowly over and around them in the dark.

He could hear voices through the breaking of the waves and attempted to speed up, only managing to slip on a bunch of seaweed. Being practiced in the art of falling, thanks to Puckerman and his love of buttering the floor, Kurt threw his hands out behind him and felt himself come to rest in a water-filled crevice in the rock. He cursed to himself and stood, his hands stinging and his backside soaking wet. In the moonlight he could see that he'd grazed his hands pretty well, blood beginning to pool in his palms. Kurt winced and shreiked into the night,

"Blaine Anderson I swear to Marc Jacobs, I am going to strangle you! I knew I should have stayed at home and watched Gossip Girl with Mercedes!"

Taking extra care not to drip blood on his clothing, he stepped over the last of the jagged rocks and onto the sand of the secret beach. Ignoring the throbbing of his hands and focusing on the faint voices, Kurt marched towards the trees at the edge of the dunes,

"Blaine? You better answer me because I am angry _and _bleeding."

A soft giggle alerted Kurt to movement on his left. As he squinted into the dark, the pale moonlight revealed two bodies curled up on a blanket surrounded by empty bottles, the yellow of Blaine's shirt capturing his full attention. Without a sound, Kurt crept behind the nearest boulder and listened intently. Alex's voice was definitely slurred,

"You're freezing. Come closer."

Another giggle, "If I was any –hiccup– closer, I'd be on top of you."

Kurt didn't hear what Alex said next, but he did see him roll over so he was straddling Blaine's hips. If Kurt had any blood left at that point in time, it boiled a dozen times over. He waited just long enough to see Alex lean down inches from Blaine's face before clearing his throat. It seemed his voice decided to fail him at the most crucial moment. Typical.

Another giggle from Blaine convinced Kurt that he was well past the stage of being intoxicated. He sat up, with Alex still on his lap and drawled,

"Kurt! How'd you find us? We're hiding!"

"You didn't hide very well. I could hear you from the other side of the rocks." Kurt mumbled, suddenly feeling incredibly defeated at the sight of Blaine's fingers intertwined with Alex's.

Blaine's mouth hung open, "Oh... Well, could you go back over the rocks? We're busy."

The tone Blaine had taken was nothing short of annoyed, which in turn caused Kurt to darken his own, "No Blaine, I came to get you. You're drunk and being taken advantage of! If you don't come with me I'll send Darien over to carry you back." He tried not to smile when Blaine wriggled his hands out of Alex's grasp, "I hurt my hands too, so it'd be wonderful if we could get back quickly before I bleed out."

He could see that Blaine was trying to move from beneath Alex, but the taller, quite visibly stronger boy held his ground. There wasn't much Kurt could do with two bloody hands, but before he could hurry over to Blaine's aid Alex had pulled him into a messy kiss. He froze and felt like he was living in slow motion. At first Blaine didn't respond, but not a second later when he'd realised what was happening, he kissed Alex back. In the back of his mind Kurt knew that Blaine wasn't thinking straight, but at that point nothing hurt him more than what he was witnessing.

"Hey! Asshole! Get off him!"

"Kurt! Man, you okay?"

"Blaine! Kurt! What's going on?"

Darien, Wes and David scrambled over the rocks to find Kurt nursing hands caked in blood and Blaine making out with Alex. They jumped into action, Darien pulled Alex and Blaine apart, using his more muscular build to scare Alex into submission; Wes ran to Kurt, shaking him back to reality; and David stood between everyone wondering how the hell they'd found themselves in this mess.

They tried to get Kurt to talk while they slowly navigated the slippery rocks but he appeared to be having a hard enough time breathing. When they were back in the orange glow of the bonfire, Darien dragged Blaine down to the water and pushed him in mercilessly.

"What were you thinking? Taking drinks from some guy, you could have been fucking drugged!" He helped a spluttering Blaine up and pointed to Kurt, who was white as a ghost, "Look at Kurt! He's hurt! You know why? Because he had to chase after you! He'd go to Hell and back for you, yet look at how you repay him."

Kurt looked up at Blaine, shivering in the shallows, hating how glazed over his expression was. What he couldn't get out of his head was the question of why. Why had Blaine started drinking? Why had Blaine agreed to go off with Alex when he'd told Kurt he thought he was a try-hard? Why was he flying?

He squirmed, trying to right himself, until he felt arms tighten around him and the wind blow ribbons of hair into his face. _Darien was carrying him back along the beach to their vans._ Kurt closed his eyes and focused on the soothing sound of the ocean. He lost himself in the rhythmic crashing of the waves, and the next thing he knew he woke up with Darien's arms still around him.

ooo

It took Kurt a few minutes to realise they were on the bed in the back of his and Blaine's van. He made sure not to disturb Darien and went to open the rear doors carefully, realising both his hands had been bandaged and he was wearing a fresh set of clothes. Quietly, Kurt stepped out into the pre-dawn darkness, taking note of the incredible silence. He peeked through the windows of the other van, finding Wes and David fast asleep on their bunks, but no Blaine in sight.

A slight change in the direction of the wind brushed the faintest sound against Kurt's ears. If he wasn't mistaken, he could have sworn it was a guitar. The music lead him down the track he and Darien had taken through the beachside forest to collect firewood the previous night and back out onto the beach. There was a lone person sitting on a twisted log worn from years of exposure to the elements, his voice piercing the silence of the dawn.

_I'm sitting across from you_

_And dreaming of the things I do_

_I don't speak, you don't know me at all._

Blaine's voice was beautiful, Kurt couldn't deny it. He folded his arms against his chest and made a mental note to thank Darien for dressing him in his rainbow sweater as it was far from warm in the direct sea breeze.

_For fear of what you might do_

_I say nothing but stare at you_

_And I'm dreaming_

_I'm tripping over you._

_Truth be told_

_My problem's solved_

_You mean the world to me but you'll never know_

_You could be cruel to me_

_While we're risking the way that I see you_

_That I see you._

As Blaine continued to sing, Kurt made his way down the shallow dunes completely unsure if he'd been discovered or not. Even as he stepped over the log and sat down, Blaine kept strumming his guitar peacefully.

_Could it be you fell for me?_

_And any possible similarity_

_If it's all, how would you know?_

_You never knew me at all but I see you_

_But I see you._

Kurt knew it was a message for him; an apology of sorts. Now that Blaine was aware of his presence, his voice had become even more sincere. Softly, Kurt reassured Blaine,

_I'm standing across from you (but I see you)_

_I've dreamt alone, now the dreams won't do (but I see you)_

_I'm standing across from you (but I see you)_

_I've dreamt alone, now the dreams won't do (but I see you)_

The moments after the last notes rang out across the water may have possibly been the longest moments of Kurt's life. He saw Blaine prop his guitar against the log and felt him close the gap between them. A dozen more long moments passed before Kurt gathered the courage to look up.

Blaine had his hands clenched tightly together in his lap and his gaze fixated on the sun beginning to poke up over the horizon. Kurt laughed nervously,

"He was right, the sunrise is rather romantic."

"It's a shame you don't have anyone special to share it with."

Kurt turned his head toward Blaine, "What do you mean? I have you..."

He moved to rest his hand gently on Blaine's, who scowled when he saw the bandages. "What did I do?"

"You were standing on top of the rocks at the other end of the beach pretending you were on the Titanic. I believe you declared yourself the king of the world. I climbed up to stop you from falling and voila. It looks like I shook hands with a cheesegrater."

"Oh my God Kurt, I'm so sorry! I watched Titanic at Darien's a few days ago... it was probably still fresh in my mind..." Blaine's face was overcome with shock, which Kurt couldn't help but laugh at.

He crossed his legs, "Sorry, but I wish that was how it happened. That would have been a positive ending to the night." Blaine tilted his head in confusion as Kurt continued, "Darien and I came back from collecting firewood and the rest of you had gone to check out the bonfire party. Long story short; you got drunk and I stopped you from having sex with that creepy Alex guy. Never fear, my wounds are all self-inflicted, I really should pay more attention to where I'm walking. Oh, and Darien threw you in the ocean."

If he'd been competely shocked before, this was a new level for Blaine altogether. He took a few deep breaths and pressed a hand to his forehead in exasperation.

"How? I don't remember any of it. Kurt, I can't- there's nothing I can say that will make this any better. Why- You should be screaming at me."

Kurt shrugged, "Have you brushed your teeth?"

"Yeah, three times. Whatever I was drinking isn't- Wait, does my breath still reek?"

He bit his lip, his nerves shooting through the roof, "No. You had Alex's tongue down your throat. I don't want him ruining the moment."

Face wrought with confusion, Blaine didn't realise what Kurt was hinting at until he had his bandaged palm against Blaine's cheek and their lips were barely brushing together. Kurt's heart hammered against his ribcage as he pulled away and opened his eyes slowly, afraid of Blaine's reaction. The other boy hadn't moved; he was still leaning towards Kurt a little with his eyes closed. Blaine reached forward and gently held one of Kurt's hands between his,

"Did that just happen? Please, please, tell me that just happened." He finally opened his eyes, pleading.

Feeling his cheeks flush red, Kurt mumbled happily, "I think it did..."

"Oh Kurt, you don't know how lo–" Blaine closed his eyes again and smiled into Kurt's lips. They kissed a little more confidently this time, knowing they were on the same level with each other.

When Kurt pulled away for the second time he carefully pressed a finger to Blaine's lips, "Darien was right, there really is only one way to shut you up."

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_Song featured in this chapter: I See You - Mika_


	6. First Day in Paradise

Kurt stood in a local diner, balancing a tray of coffee on his forearms while Wes waited for their breakfast orders. He sighed and bit his bottom lip to suppress a giddy smile. When he and Blaine had returned from the other end of the beach, David and Wes had taken it upon themselves to split them up. Of course, Kurt wasn't thrilled with that idea but he really needed coffee and Wes was already dragging him towards a diner so he tried not to argue. Now he was handling hot beverages whilst daydreaming about his absolutely perfect morning and wasn't sure if Blaine had ever looked as wonderful as he had hung over. He made a note to himself to bury Blaine's hair products in the sand before they left.

He was nudged back to reality, "Whoa, Kurt, stop grinning. I'm supposed to be consoling you. Why are you so–" Wes glared at Kurt, "You guys are totally together. Of course it takes one of Blaine's drunken escapades to fan the fire of true love. So? Come on, details!" They moved to a vacant table and Kurt whispered, unsure whether he actually wanted to share anything with Wes at all,

"He sang to me, we talked, he wouldn't shut up - so I kissed him. Then we kissed some more... All before seven in the morning." Kurt blushed, remembering how it had felt to have Blaine's hands on his hips, firmly pulling him onto his lap.

Wes brushed a hand over Kurt's shoulders, "Man, you're absolutely covered in sand. Please tell me you didn't–"

"Oh my God we did not!" Kurt whispered harshly. "Having just kissed for the first time, both our hearts were racing a little and he may have forgotten to breathe. He kind of jumped up while I was still on his lap and I landed on the sand okay? As long as there's no vomit on me I couldn't care less."

A waitress waved Wes over to the counter and handed him a bag full of foam take-away containers. He turned back to Kurt, who was walking towards the door,

"So, you guys are all good? We're not going to have to separate you?"

Kurt rolled his eyes, pushing the door to the cafe open with his hip, "Wes, we aren't children. I forgave Blaine for last night. Sure, I really didn't want to see him writhing around on a beach with some strange boy's tongue down his throat, but I ended up with my man and we never have to see Alex again."

He continued balanced the tray of coffee on his forearms, and walked down the street alongside Wes. They were almost back to the beach when a passer by's arm collided with the tray of coffee and slammed it into Kurt's chest. To Wes, Kurt didn't seem all that bothered by the warm beverages dripping down his front as he gathered the now empty cups from the pavement.

"Man, you okay?"

"I'm fine," Kurt smiled half-heartedly, "I think I prefer coffee to slushies actually."

He turned and threw the cups in the bin, glancing down the street to find whoever had attempted to ruin his perfect morning. Seeing only a mailman wandering towards them, Kurt looked down and swatted Wes' hand away from his chest where he was dabbing his sweater with a napkin,

"I am a stain removing prodigy and this will not ruin my morning." He tugged at the hem of his sweater, pulling it over his head, "Though if I can't fix it I'll probably cry so have some tissues and ice cream on standby."

ooo

Kurt couldn't wait until breakfast was over. He sat at the camp table Darien had set up and listened to David excitedly ramble on about driving down to Chicago. Across from him, Blaine was poking at his pancakes with disinterest.

"You okay Blaine?" Darien said as he glanced at Kurt and winked.

Blaine rubbed his eyes and yawned, the cool ocean breeze ruffling his luscious curls. Kurt found himself lost in observing Blaine's ragged appearance; much the opposite of his usual groomed exterior. He let a tiny sigh escape his lips as he imagined waking up next to Blaine, his hair messy and his clothes rumpled –

"Yo Kurt, when you're done daydreaming, we're going for a swim." David said, waving his hand in front of Kurt's face.

Kurt jumped in his seat a little, eliciting a sleepy smile from Blaine, "Go ahead, I'm going to find a laundromat so I can get the stains out of my lucky sweater. I'll bring back some more coffee when I'm done."

He folded his sweater across his forearm and headed back to the main street. It was only a short walk and Kurt could remember seeing a laundromat on his way to the diner with Wes earlier, so he wandered along at a leisurely pace, singing into the wind,

_Maybe I need some rehab_

_Or maybe just need some sleep_

_I've got a sick obsession_

_I'm seeing it in my dreams_

_I'm looking down every alley_

_I'm making those desperate calls_

_I'm staying up all night hoping_

_Hitting my head against the wall_

A woman walking her dog smiled politely as Kurt skipped past her, singing louder,

_What you got boy is hard to find_

_I think about it all the time_

_I'm all strung out_

_My heart is fried_

_I just can't get you off my mind_

As he came up to the tiny laundromat, Kurt found himself alone and continued to sing as he busied himself with cleaning his sweater. He set the machine to wash and swished around the room, feeling like he was living in his very own musical.

_Because your love, your love, your love is my drug_

_Your love, your love, your love –_

Kurt hated it when everything happened in slow motion. Only bad things ever happened to him in slow motion. He didn't think anything bad could follow him from Lima; but here he was, shoved against the wall with his hands shielding his face. It had been months since he'd been even remotely close to bullied, but his instincts to defend himself flooded back like he had never left McKinley.

He peered past his forearms, not really sure what to expect. As he collected his thoughts, he found himself almost relieved that it wasn't Karofsky standing in front of him. Alex gave Finn a run for his money in the height department though, towering over Kurt. Clearly he was pissed off, still drunk, and wanted to take his anger out on Kurt. He stared at Kurt like a lion sizing up its prey and grinned cockily,

"Now that you don't have any of your bodyguards around, you want to _really_ get to know me?"

Kurt held his head high, "Do you have a problem? Because if you're just bitter about me not letting you take advantage of Blaine, you really need to grow up. And while you're at it, you might want to sober up before you do something really stupid."

Having learned to be nimble around those wielding slushies at McKinley, Kurt slipped past Alex and paused just long enough to realise that he felt more afraid than he had in a long, long time. He jogged down the street to the cafe he'd been at that morning and took a seat in the back corner. A few deep breaths and calming thoughts later, Kurt fumbled his phone out of his pocket and dialled Darien's number. After what sounded like eons of ringing, his friend picked up,

"I told you Kurt; two sugars and no milk."

"This is a little more important than coffee." After hearing Darien tell the others to shut up, Kurt continued quietly, "Alex followed me into the laundromat. I don't think he stopped drinking after we left... I'm assuming he's mad at me for not letting him practically rape Blaine last night –"

"Where are you?"

"Hiding in the diner. Please don't tell –" Kurt groaned as he heard Blaine demand the phone from Darien,

"Kurt, what's wrong?"

He sighed and slipped into his sickly sweet _I'm-not-fine-but-I-won't-admit-it _tone, "Don't get so worked up, it'll only make your headache worse. I just rang to see if you guys wanted food since you're all normally begging for a second breakfast back at Dalton. I swear you're all distantly related to Hobbits. Though carrying the coffee is going to be hard enough with these useless stumps for hands, so on second thoughts, if you want food you're going to have to get it yourself."

Before Blaine could catch the nervous waver in his voice, Kurt hung up on his _boyfriend_ (honestly, he just loved saying it) and rested his forehead on the table with a groan. Couldn't something, anything, go smoothly when he was involved?

ooo

Every time the bell on the door of the cafe chimed, Kurt jumped a little in his seat. When a shadow fell across him, he nearly choked on his heart. Thankfully he peeked up and recognised the golden mane standing before him,

He raised a hand to his lips dramatically, attempting to lighten the mood, "Oh Aslan, you gave me a heart attack!"

"Shut up Tumnus and tell me what the hell happened." Darien sat across from Kurt and looked far from amused.

He pulled at a loose thread on his bandages and frowned, "You know, maybe I overreacted. It's just been so long since I've had anyone push me around and I wasn't exactly expecting it..."

Darien shook his head, picking up the tray of coffee from the table and tilting his head towards the door, "Come on, let's pick up your sweater and get back to camp. Blaine's pretty keen to get out of here. And I promise that if I see that dickbag Alex, I will welcome him to Darien's Snack Shack. Chef's special; knuckle sandwiches."

"Let's just get out of here. This is supposed to be the best summer ever, but it's started off with more drama than a day at McKinley. I am so not equipped for that anymore."

They popped back to the laundromat to collect Kurt's damp, but stain-free sweater, then began to head back towards the beach. Kurt was part way through a complaint about the unnecessary strength of the sunlight when Darien's ringtone interrupted him. As Darien conversed with whoever had called him, Kurt muttered,

"Who in their right mind would have _that_ as their ringtone? It's terribly harsh on the ears for one. Secondly–"

"Don't speak about Metallica like that. They are gods of rock! Do you hear me whinging about your ridiculous "Classic Pop, aka: Play When I Want to have Vocal Sex with Blaine" mix?" Darien turned back to his phone and cringed, "Yes, I'm still here. Can't you handle it on your own for a few minutes? Kurt and I are on our way. No, I don't think leaving Kurt in town is a good idea. _Because Blaine is his boyfriend and I'm sure he'd like to be there when he inevitably works himself into a hyperventilating mess._"

Darien shoved his phone back into his pocket and pressed his temple in frustration, "I'm surrounded by idiots."

"Now who's quoting The Lion King, hmm?" Kurt chuckled as he nudged an elbow into Darien's side playfully. "What's Blaine done? He didn't try to start a fire did he?"

The two Kombi vans came into sight, but more importantly Blaine came into earshot, "I don't understand what his problem is. I told him I'm with Kurt and he goes and threatens me! I don't even remember kissing him, but apparently that's a binding contract around here!"

Kurt slipped a hand into Blaine's and squeezed his fingers gently, hoping the contact would calm him down a little. They opened the side door of their van and sat down, Blaine staring pensively out to sea while Kurt selfishly reached up with his free hand and ran his fingers through the curls behind Blaine's ear. When he could bring himself to tear his eyes away from his boyfriend, Kurt realised that David, Wes and Darien were now passing a football between themselves on the beach. Taking the rare moment of complete privacy, Kurt broke the silence,

"He came to talk to you too? I know you don't really recall much about last night, but do you remember why you started drinking with him in the first place? Something must have convinced you against your judgement, because you're the master of rational thinking."

Blaine pulled Kurt's hand between both of his and brushed a finger ever so tenderly over his bandaged palm, still feeling visibly guilty for his injuries. He pulled his bottom lip between his teeth and concentrated on his feet,

"I remember watching you and Darien disappear and thinking that you were mad at me–" Kurt's attempt at keeping his expression neutral failed, and Blaine laughed, "Every time you want to talk about me you go to Darien, what else was I supposed to think?"

Kurt rolled his eyes with a smirk, "Oh I don't know. Maybe that we were going to collect firewood and I had no choice in the matter."

"Oh, well that's error number one on my part." Blaine snickered to himself, "I can't believe I thought drinking would be solution to my insecurity. At first we were standing on the edge of the crowd, but that Nate guy spotted us and decided we needed to be introduced to everyone. He wouldn't stop asking about Darien and when David explained that he was definitely straight he said something about needing to mend his broken heart and offered us more drinks. When you'd been gone for more than a while I was going to look for you, but people kept handing me fresh drinks. It was stupid to accept them, I know. I'll remember that for next time. You know, I don't even remember seeing Alex. He only kissed me right? We didn't–"

Kurt leaned into Blaine's shoulder, "You're safe, no need to audition for Teen Mom."

"Oh thank God." He turned to look straight into Kurt's eyes and pleaded, "I really am sorry."

God, Kurt couldn't put into words how badly he wanted to kiss Blaine at that moment. It would be an appropriate way to tell Blaine he accepted his apology right? All he had to do was lean up a little... But he missed his chance and Blaine turned his head to stare out to sea.

Kurt sighed and shifted himself until he was sitting with his back against the door frame, his legs stretched out along the floor of the van behind Blaine. He stroked his thumb across the back of Blaine's hand, ignoring the stinging pain in his palm and closed his eyes. The gentle ocean breeze fluttered across his face, the sound of Blaine singing joined that of the gulls and his friends on the beach. Kurt tried incredibly hard not to smile stupidly, but he could feel Blaine moving to sit between his legs and almost burst into inappropriate laughter at the perfection of the moment. He had to force himself to keep his eyes closed as Blaine rested his head on his chest and pulled his arms around his waist.

_In the middle of summer,_

_All was golden in the sky._

_All was golden when the day met the night._

_Summer, all was golden in the sky._

_All was golden when the day met the night._

_So he said, "Would it be alright _

_If we just sat and talked for a little while?_

_If in exchange for your time_

_I give you this smile?"_

Lulled into a state of semi-consciousness by Blaine's voice, Kurt wasn't sure if the pressure on his lips was real or a figment of his imagination. He found himself kissing back and was discovered that he most certainly wasn't dreaming. Blaine's hands snaked into his hair, disregarding the unspoken rule that it was out of bounds to the touch of mere mortals. Pulling away, Kurt sang so quietly only Blaine was close enough to hear,

_So he said, "That's okay_

_As long as you can make a promise_

_Not to break my little heart_

_Or leave me all alone in the summer"_

Having Blaine so ridiculously close was making Kurt giddy. He could feel his cheeks burning, but to his relief realised that Blaine's were just as flushed. They remained curled up together as Blaine started to sing again.

_Well he was just hanging around_

_Then he fell in love_

_And he didn't know how_

_But he couldn't get out._

_Just hanging around_

_Then he fell in love._

ooo

Nothing could have ruined the absolute high Kurt was feeling, not even the sight of Nate approaching them. Blaine let his head fall back against Kurt's shoulder with an audibly frustrated sigh as Nate waved to them. He kicked absentmindedly at the layer of sand coating the parking lot,

"I just came to apologise for Alex's stupidity. You probably won't believe me, but he's normally pretty chill... I guess he just drank too much."

Blaine, suddenly caring much less about the matter shrugged, "We all do pretty stupid things when we're drunk. I know I've done worse."

Worse than getting someone drunk with the clear intention of taking advantage of them? What could be worse than that? Kurt would remember to ask about that later. There was still a whole lot he didn't know about Blaine's life before they met, and this just gave him even more incentive to push the subject. For now though, he was content to sit quietly and memorise the contours of Blaine's body.

* * *

_Songs featured in this chapter: Your Love Is My Drug – Kesha, When the Day Met the Night – Panic! At The Disco_


End file.
